Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused an urgent hearing to TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who sought protection from coercive action following an FIR against her, with the court noting it had “gallons of such petitions” pending. Meanwhile, a separate bench heard a plea by former MLA Sujit Bose, while TMC member Atin Ghosh’s petition is scheduled for hearing on Thursday.Bose’s case was heard by Justice Jay Sengupta. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Bose, questioned whether the Enforcement Directorate (ED) held the power to arrest his client. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case and initiated its probe on April 21, 2023, subsequently filing a chargesheet in June 2024. Singhvi argued that Bose was not named in the chargesheet, yet the ED arrested him following an initial summons.“If I (Bose) were to tamper with documents, I could have done so in 2023. There was no necessity for arrest between 2023 and 2026. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) does not apply to me… I am cooperating with the investigation, so why arrest me?” Singhvi argued. The matter will next be heard on Thursday. The counsel was also directed to withdraw another petition pending before a coordinate bench.In Moitra’s case, her counsel sought an urgent hearing after she was served a notice of appearance under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). This was the second time her case was mentioned for an urgent hearing before Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya.
